Leah shouted as an arm snaked over her shoulders and a hand gripped her throat. Her yelps, already drowned out in the downpour, faded with Zach's tightening grip.

His other arm wrapped around Zoey's slim waist. She thrashed in his hold, but his elbows locked her in. Zach was easily stronger than one of them, but restraining both was becoming a challenge. Zoey dug her long, sharp nails into the tight fabric on his arm. Even with a layer of protection, her nails clawed at him. He grunted but only shoved his fist harder into her side.

Zach took small steps backwards, straining to maintain his balance against his victims’ tugging. Unsteady as he was, he finally returned to the nook in the wall that he had been hiding in. Zach swung to the right, flinging Zoey in between the concrete walls and blocking her exit with his and Leah's bodies.

As Zoey was released, a palm latched to her shoulder and slammed her against the door at the back of the hiding spot. The blow knocked the wind out of her lungs, but she instinctively clasped onto the arm of her second attacker as they came into view.

Camilla’s other arm swung in front of Zoey's chest. Adrenaline spiking her reflexes, Zoey snatched Camilla's wrist as it rushed towards her. A glint of metal caught her eye from Camilla's grasp. Just as Zoey realized what it was, it pressed below her chin and out of sight. Before she could use the remaining strength in her other arm to push back the blade, Camilla slammed her body against Zoey's, pinning her against the door. She pushed back against Camilla with all the force she could muster from her dominant arm, but her palm stung.

Zoey's eyes darted wildly around Camilla. The figure who she saw first was gone, taking Leah with her. The only movement she could see was the splatter of raindrops.

A deep, guttural chuckle emerged from Camilla's lips. Zoey met her eyes, which stared at her, wide and crazed. The dim blue shade of her irises shone with a mad excitement that Zoey would never forget. She wondered if she had neglected to spot a similar look in Camilla's face when she sent that man to kill Chloe Lynch.

Suddenly, Zoey's heart dropped to her stomach.

“That man…,” Zoey uttered, voice hoarse as she fought against Camilla’s advancements, “killed Chloe.”

Camilla leaned her head closer, saying, “Well, aren't you sharp.” She laughed as she pressed the knife closer. Zoey's grip became slick from what she could only hope was their combined perspiration.

“You can't kill us both,” Zoey grunted, “and get away with it.”

“I've done it before, haven't I?”

Zoey gritted her teeth. “Back-to-back like this? Do you think the police will believe this is another abduction?”

“Oh, they're going to know it's a murder.” Zoey's hand slipped, and the blade pressed into the tender skin of her neck. “They just won't know I had any involvement. They'll think it was all him. And once they find your bodies in the back of his truck, they're going to discover that he was responsible for all five girls’ deaths at this school.

“As soon as he's convicted, I'll be free. Free from all of these accusations, free from him. I can go back to the way my life was before Amy stuck her nose into someone else's problem. Before you both joined her. Before the whole school believed me to be a murderer.”

Zoey’s breathing picked up as she waited for the dagger to pierce her. “You will not get away with this. They will know it was you.”

Camilla tilted her head. “Wishful thinking. I know it well. I used to think my life would go exactly as I deserved, too.” Her eyes narrowed. “But, I soon realized that jealous onlookers like to get in the way of successful people, and I needed to take my fate into my own hands—”

“Camilla!”

Her head snapped to the side. She could faintly see a short figure standing at the entryway. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Ava barked, eyes wide with horror.

Camilla huffed. “Why do you sound so shocked?” she asked. “I told you I was confronting them today.”

“I never agreed to—”

“If anything, I should be shocked that you aren't watching Amy. That was our deal.”

“And you were supposed to be changing their minds. Does this look like your end of the deal!?”

“Don't act so naïve. You've been meeting with the committee for weeks. You said it yourself that you care about Amy. So, either you lied, you thought she was deranged, or you knew something was wrong about me and did nothing to stop this from happening until now.”

“I didn't know what to believe, but I didn't trust you.”

“Clearly not. You left your post, not that it matters. You're a bit too late, and you're completely unarmed.” Zoey shifted from underneath Camilla’s weight, but the attacker had her firmly pinned to the door. “Do you hear that, Zoey? It's too late for your precious best friend.”

“Just let them go, Camilla,” Ava pleaded. 

Camilla hardly bothered to face her. “Them? Do you see Leah here?”

“The police will be here any second—”

“What!? You called the police?”

“Amy's calling them. She saw what happened and—”

“There is absolutely no redemption for your failure, Avery.” Camilla’s head snapped around, piercing blue eyes shooting fear into Ava's. “I told you to watch her!”

“She would have called regardless.”

“But you could have tried to stop her! I mean, look at her; she's weak and fragile.”

“Why would I stop a victim when I could stop the killer?”

Camilla snatched her unarmed hand from Zoey’s shoulder. She slammed her body weight back down on Zoey to stop her writhing. As Camilla faced Ava fully, the dark eyes that met hers reflected a stern, unwavering determination.

Camilla pointed at Ava. “Don't act so brave now.”

“I'm not acting. I'm just not afraid of you, and you're not used to that.”

“You're not afraid of me hurting you.” Camilla shook her head slowly. “No…, but I know what you should be afraid of. After today, the one person you truly care about is my next target.” Ava's eyes darted about as her breathing picked up. “If you want any hope of protecting him, you and the rest of the committee need to be silent about this. No talking to the police, no publishing articles, no telling anyone what you saw today.”

Camilla tilted her head. “Considering how pathetically you failed today, I would advise you to go ahead and kiss André goodbye.”

Lightning flashed behind Ava, and she flinched. Blinking rapidly, she uttered, “But… I can’t…”

“You’re giving up already?” Camilla let out a short laugh. “Don't you have a phone call to interrupt?”

Ava's head snapped back to the side of the building she fled from. Strained from her weakening grip on Camilla, Zoey grunted, “She cannot hurt anyone from prison—”

“You're bold,” Camilla snapped, applying more pressure to her neck, “yet so incorrect.” She faced Ava again. “I'm not working alone. I can assure you, if I'm gone, he'll take care of whoever is next on my list.”

Without a word, Ava broke into a sprint towards the journalism classroom. Her breathing turned to desperate huffs as the downpour drenched her. Rain splattered into her open mouth. As she reached the locked doors to the building, coughing and spluttering, Ava banged with closed fists. 

“Amy!” she shouted over the pouring rain. “Amy, hurry!”

It did not take Amy long to emerge from around the corner. She slammed the door open, and Ava stumbled through the entrance.

“What happened?” Amy asked as Ava caught her breath.

“Call 9‐1-1,” Ava ordered.

Amy went still. Her expression was laced with fearful confusion, but she did not hesitate in reaching for her phone.

Ava lied to Camilla. Nobody had called the police. All Ava said to Amy before she ran out into the thunderstorm was to wait for her by the doors and to not follow her. From her tone of voice in the command, Ava thought it possible that Amy had, in fact, called the police, but she was ultimately bluffing. She hoped that her lie would put Camilla in enough of a time crunch to give up on whatever plans she had for Zoey and Leah.

As Ava looked back through the window, she could only pray that the police would come in time to arrest both Camilla and her accomplice before they found André.

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Immediately after Ava disappeared from sight, Zoey slipped her right arm from the wedge between her chest and her left wrist. She gripped Camilla’s arm, and with the combined strength, Zoey shoved with all her remaining energy.

Camilla gasped as the dagger suddenly jerked towards her, but her reverse grip prevented it from being turned against her. She swung her free arm forwards, grasping her own wrist. The slight bend in Zoey’s elbows allowed Camilla an advantage. As the distance between the knife and Zoey's throat decreased.

In a final escape attempt, Zoey slid her back across the corner between the door and the wall, hoping to slip past Camilla. As soon as she took a step, her attacker slammed her elbow against the wall beside her, trapping her in. 

Behind a clenched jaw, Camilla sucked her teeth. “Nice try,” she said, “but I'm not stupid.”

“Are you sure?” Zoey grunted. “You're trying to kill two people after all of your accusations have become public. You cannot possibly frame him for two murders.”

Camilla whipped her head back as though she heard something, but there was no one behind her. “If he would hurry up….” She scoffed and turned back. “Be still. Otherwise, you're dead.”

Camilla removed her unarmed hand from her other arm. Although Zoey likely had the strength to free herself from her attacker now, she waited with a keen eye as Camilla retrieved her phone from her back pocket. She tilted the screen away from Zoey as she typed, and after a moment, she flicked the phone to her ear. Zoey only saw the screen for a second. Camilla was dialing an unsaved phone number.

The phone rang once before a low voice picked up that Zoey could barely hear. “Good timing,” it said. “She just fell unconscious.”

“What do you mean?” Camilla asked. “You've had her for several minutes now, and she just passed out?”

“She was being difficult. You remember how River was.”

Camilla frowned. “Put her in the trunk and come get the other one. Hurry.”

Before she could hang up, Zoey leaned forward, using both hands to overpower Camilla. The phone slipped to the damp ground as Camilla thrusted her palm against the back of the knife. 

“Zach, hurry!” Camilla yelled as Zoey leaned towards her escape.

Camilla adjusted her stance to a lunge, legs far enough back for Zoey to move her own. With a firm kick, Zoey’s foot slammed into the side of Camilla’s knee. Her leg twisted, sending her to the pavement. Her shoulder blade crashed onto the concrete. Before Zoey could flee, Camilla snatched her wrist and held it close to her. 

Zoey momentarily tugged, but a light caught her attention. As she glanced, Zoey realized that Camilla's phone call never ended. On the ground, just beside Camilla's hooded head, laid the discarded phone, sideways and damaged. On its screen, the unknown man's phone number was displayed.

Holding her breath, Zoey scanned the tilted numbers.

A few seconds passed before a shadow overtook her from the entrance. Zoey’s memorization was cut short by the man's grasp on her waist. With a swift jerk, he tore her eyes from the screen and dragged her away from Camilla. Zoey hardly put up a fight as she recounted the digits in her head. 

5-5-7

She looked at Camilla, who smirked back, seemingly unaware of what Zoey saw.

9-2-2

Droplets pounded her as she was pulled out from beneath the awning. 

4-2-7-9

Before she recognized what was happening, the man swung an arm over hers, locking her back against his chest. She gasped and flailed in his grip, but just as he had proven before, he was much stronger than her.

As he dragged her towards the parking lot, Zoey caught a glimpse of Amy in the distance, speaking on the phone. She could hardly see her through the thick sheet of rain, but she could recognize the redhead anywhere. 

Amy just might be Zoey's saving grace.

“The police are coming!” Zoey shouted over the rain. “Both of you are going to get caught!”

Camilla scoffed. “Wishful thinking,” she said. “You're a lost cause, Zoey Larson.”

“They are calling the police right now!” Zoey screamed. Her captor paused. “Look!”

She tipped her head towards Amy, praying the man would follow her gaze. Camilla stepped out to peer at Amy, and she shook her head. “She's probably just on the phone. Now, hurry and—”

“No, Ava told you she was calling the police!” Zoey snapped.

“What are you talking about?” Camilla asked.

“She told you that a few minutes ago. That's why you are in such a hurry!”

Zach's head whipped to face Camilla. “The police department is only five minutes from here.”

“Babe, no one is calling the police.”

“That girl,” he said. “She looks exactly like Amy Gardener—”

“She is,” Zoey shot back.

“—and she's looking right at us as we attack her friend. What else would she be on the phone about?”

Camilla blinked rapidly. “I can't even see who that is from here! We don't know—”

“It's obviously her,” Zach bellowed, “and she's calling the police on us! We have to leave!”

“So, hurry up!”

Zach hesitated, glancing at the parking lot behind him. “Fuck that,” he said as he released Zoey and shoved her away. Adrenaline pushed her momentum into a sprint. She shot past Camilla before she had the chance to lift a finger and ran to the doors at which Amy stood.

Camilla watched her escape with horror. “Why would you—”

When she turned to Zach, he was already rushing around the corner. Behind clenched teeth, Camilla screamed. She stormed in his path. Rounding the corner, she saw Zach toss open the door to the backseat.

“What the hell are you doing!?” Camilla barked.

Zach reached for Leah's limp body and dragged it out as though it were luggage.

“Getting the fuck out of here!” he answered.

Camilla stared at Leah as he dropped her to the sidewalk. “You can't just flee the scene; that's how we both get arrested!”

Zach shook his head, swinging open the driver side door. “I'm not getting caught with a body in my truck. That bitch, Amy, already knows what it looks like, so the cops will know what to look out for.” Zach lifted himself into the seat. “I'm not going to jail.”

“But what about me!? You can't just leave—”

His truck door slammed. Camilla's jaw dropped as the engine started. She frantically stripped her black gloves from her hands and her dark sweatshirt over her head. The brake lights flicked on, and Camilla threw the evidence—stained with Zoey's blood—into his trunk. With a final kick against his bumper, Camilla witnessed as Zach sped towards the street.

She huffed in the suffocating humid air. Her tightened fists shook. Her eyes locked on Zach's escape as his dark vehicle slipped out of sight. Camilla’s vision dropped to the unfinished job laying on the concrete, and all she could do was scream.

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦

Amy swung the door open and pulled Zoey inside so quickly that she slipped. Her knees hit the tile as the door shut behind her.

“Zoey, a-are you okay?” Amy asked, crouching beside her. “Did they hurt you?”

As Zoey lifted herself, a stripe of blood stained the floor. Amy gasped. Zoey examined her palm, which had a large, oozing gash.

“Yes, Zoey Larson,” Amy said on the phone. “Her hand is injured. She h-has a cut.”

Lifting her head, Zoey looked at Amy. Tears dripped from her chin in a stream from her welled-up eyes. Her lips quivered as she spoke. Every muscle in her body seemed to be trembling.

Zoey raised her uninjured hand and brushed it against Amy's dampened cheek. “It’s okay. I am okay.” She pressed more firmly. “Everything is fine.”

Amy hiccuped. “But… what about Leah?” Zoey went still, and Amy's face contorted into terror. “Is s-she alive? Please tell me she's okay!”

“I… do not know.”

Amy's voice broke into a violent sob. She crumbled to the ground, hands on either side of her head. The operator's voice was faint over her cries. Zoey could only rub Amy's back as she broke down.

Only then did Zoey notice Ava in the corner, squatted below the windows. She did not look their way. She only stared at the ground, eyes wide and blank.

Zoey had far too many concerns to consider about Ava, but in the moment, those same ten digits were repeating in her head:

557-922-4279